Ceca Sander
Ceca Sander (Born May 6, 1914) was the second governor of Waltens after the Japanese Occupation. The head of one of the few surviving League families, he took the post of governorship in Februari of 1946, after his predecessor Lorissa Agueda died as the result of an accident while visiting a construction site. Background Although ostensibly originated from Britain, the Sander family had been a prolific member of the League Assembly for centuries. The family made most of their wealth through sheep and cow ranching and processing wool, leather and meat. The early ninteenth century, family head Tycho Sander decided to change course and began the transition to maritime shipping, selling off most of the pastures. Despite initial problems (and ridicule), this made the Sanders family one of the richest in Echain. It was one of the first Echaini enterprises to employ steamships, which would be sailing to most Asia-Pacific ports before the end of the century. The family also founded its own shipyard in Southport, which had become one of the largest in the region by the 1920's. The 1929 Wall Street Crash and the resulting economic collapse was disastrous for the family business, however, resulting in near-bankrupcy in 1931. Early life Ceca Sander was born on the May 6th, 1914 as the eldest son to Coen and Harriet Sander, heads of the prestigious Sander family. As the scion of a League family, Ceca was sent to the famous Ellis Westham boarding school in Waltens City and followed his secondary education in Aberisk. Despite the family's financial problems following the 1929 crisis, he was able to attend the London School of Economics, where he followed classes under (amongst others) Friedrich Hayek. Returning to Echain in 1936, he was made his father's right hand assistent, in preparation for his eventual succession as head of the family. Exile When the 1937 Japanese invasion happened, Coen Sander had been one of the first to properly assess they threat they posed to the League families and their influence. He had been preparing a small fleet of family ships, and in the night of 11-12 March, He and his closest family (including his adult sons Ceca, Benjamin and Albert) slipped away on four small freighters, bringing only as much possessions as they could gather at minute's notice. Narrowly escaping the Japanese blockade (although losing one ship to an aerial patrol), they slipped to Australia, while trying to divert as much other family vessels that were on the seas. In Australia, Coen had hoped to restart the family trading business, but government obstruction and the looming of a greater Pacific war made difficult, resulting in many of the 24 surviving ships spending their days in port. In 1940, when Australia increased its involvement in the Second World War, most of the ships were confiscated for the war effort, leaving the family with only four small ships and a meager compensation. Head of the family Coen Sander died of an heart attack on October 19th, 1940, leaving the business to Ceca and his younger brothers Ben and Albert. Although technically the elder, Ceca had lacked the business savvy and experience of his father and would leave Ben in charge of the company's day-to-day operation. Ceca has instead become interrested in economic theory and economic politics in the time in London (inspired by the ongoing debate between Keynes and Hayek). During the war, Ceca would also take to corresponding with his old professor as well as other leading Britsh economists. Albert had no interest in the family business whatsoever and had enroled into the Royal Australian Naval College in 1938. The brothers had been resentful of the flight from their homeland, and with roles becoming clearly defined after their father's death, it was decided that they would focus the family's remaining wealth and influence in service of occupied Echain. Instead of fighting the Australians, they decided to cooperate, frequently leasing out the remaining ships to the navy. Ceca would move to Canberry to lobby the government for Echaini liberation and pressing for clandestine missions sending spies or supplies to the country. With Albert's gratuation as flag officer in 1942, he was made commander of the auxillery fleet containing the family ships. When it became clear that Echain was not on the Allies' priority list for liberation, Ceca and Ben Sander began to clandestinely arrange supply missions and smuggling runs to Echain. In the end, when the revolution came in 1945, it had been Sander ships who had brought the arms and supplies the revolters had needed to take over. After the war ended, the family made sure to be more generously compensated by the Australian government and to have most of the surviving ships returned. Return to Echain The family returned to Echain in late 1945, hoping to restore the family's business and the family's name. The Sander family's escape had left a conflicting legacy. While the flight had been considered desertion, the family's position as one of the few remaining old elites, as well as its advocacy vor Echain during it exile left with some popular and political goodwill. Ceca has planned to follow up on his experience in Canberra, though, and had decided to enter the Echaini political stage in the wake of the vacuum the Japanese had left. As a trained economics scholar with political experience and connections to both Canberra and London, as well as the personal goodwill of many Echaini freedom fighter, he had been a popular ally to some of the early Echaini politicians. Acting as economic advisor and de-facto right hand to newly-elected Waltens governor Lorissa Agueda. When Agueda died suddenly, after only a few months in office, Sander was a likely successor. His candidacy was supported by many surviving League families in Waltens, who saw Sander as one of them, and to the most hopeful ones, as the one who would lead the families into a new era. Ceca Sander himself had never been very fond of his League heritage nor his support, but hoped that by leading by example, he could help them find a place in a new, democratic and (hopefully) meritocratic order.